Cove Youth FC

Under 8s Cougars
NEHYL
In line with League policy we are unable to publish results for
Under 8s matches

28 January 2012 - Cove Cougars v Rushmoor Community Hawks

After last weeks heroics Cove welcomed Rushmoor Community Hawks in confident mood. Cove had a strong team available with Josh and MacKenzie on goal. Oliver, Sam and Daniel formed the defence with Liam, Callum and Charlie in midfield. Upfront Joseph and Marc lead the attack.

However unfortunately the boys struggled to find their recent good form and never really got going as Rushmoor out fought Cove and dominated for large periods scoring some good goals including one direct from a corner. The highlights for Cove included a great performance from Mackenzie in goal who picked up the man of match trophy with some fine saves and great kicking. Joseph thoroughly earned the effort award with a real battling display, despite playing upfront he got back time and time again to help out his teammates in defence. Oliver also stood out with another good display winning lots of tackles and making a couple of good headers to push Joseph all the way for the effort award. In the second half Cove scored their 50th goal of the season with a well struck penalty in to the top corner by Liam.

21 January 2012 - Fleet Town Raiders v Cove Cougars

The Cougars played the their first match since the 3rd December away to Fleet Town Raiders. Fleet are regarded as one of the top teams in the league so Cove knew they would have to be at their best to get anything from the game. Fortunately the boys delivered, with one of their best displays of the season, combining determination with some fantastic football.

Fleet started brightly and had a couple of good chances but Mckenzie was confident in goal and made some fine stops. As the first half progressed Cove got more and more into the game and produced some great passing moves.

In defence Sam was outstanding making several strong challenges and passed the ball well from the back. On the left Daniel defended really well with well timed tackles but he also pushed forward with some great runs down the wing to put Fleet under pressure. On the right Callum had an excellent game and made some great long passes to start Cove attacks, he got forward and back putting in a real effort for the team and delivered some great corners.

In the middle Liam put in a fantastic all round display, he covered lots of ground, made countless tackles and passed well. On the left wing Joseph was a constant threat he made some strong runs down the wing and put in some great crosses. On the right wing Harrison was a great outlet for Cove, he showed some excellent close control and closed down the Fleet defenders quickly to put Cove on the front foot.

In the second half Josh, Marc and Oliver come on to freshen up the team. Josh was superb in goal, making several good saves, one of which was a fantastic dive down to his right to turn a shot round the post. Marc provided some great energy, he battled for the team getting forward to support attacks and back to help out the defence. Oliver come on at the back and he also put in a great performance, he held his position really well and made some fantastic tackles.

The second half was similar to the first with both teams pressing for a goal. But mid-way through the half Cove produced the move of the match to score the only goal. Oliver put in a strong tackle to stop a Fleet attack and the ball broke to Callum who played a long pass out to wing. Joseph ran on to the ball and delivered an excellent cross in to the box, Liam made a well timed run in to the area and slide in to to poke the ball pass the Fleet keeper. It was one of the best team goals of the season.

Man of the match went to Josh for his excellent saves and the effort award went to Oliver for his great defensive performance.

3 Dec 11

Rushmoor Community Jets visited Cove for the second time in a month and just like last time the supporters were treated to a great match by two good footballing sides. The first half was extremely tight with both sides passing the ball well to create chances, however both sides were also fully committed in defence to prevent any breakthrough.

The Cougars had both Josh and Mackenzie available and they shared the goalkeeping responsibilities. Both keepers had good games and Cove are really lucky to have two such reliable goalies. Sam, Daniel and Oliver all had excellent games in defence, they held there positions well and made countless well timed tackles. In midfield Joseph, Liam, Callum and Charlie produced some fine passing moves and all four worked really hard for their teammates covering all areas of the pitch. Upfront Harrison also have a fine game, he made some great runs and held the ball up well to allow the Cougars midfield to get forward.

The second half continued along similar lines to the first with two well matched teams pressing for a goal. The breakthrough came with ten minutes remaining when a Rushmoor forward hit a wonder goal from 20 yards out. Cove responded well and continued to pass the ball looking for an opening, however as they pushed forwarded they where caught out as Rushmoor scored on the break. Overall this was a enjoyable game with both teams fully committed and well matched.

Man of the match went to Liam for an excellent all round performance including some defence splitting passes. The effort award went to Callum who showed great bravery when making some crunching tackles.

26 Nov 11 -Cove Cougars v Aldershot B&G Warriers Reds

The under 8s faced Aldershot B&G Warriors Reds in what turned out to be another close match for the Cougars.

Cove started well and created 3 or 4 good chances but were thwarted by a strong Warriors defence. Mackenzie was in goal for Cove in the first half and had a good game, his handling was solid and he kicked well in to a strong wind. In Defence Oliver and Sam's partnership is developing well, as normal Oliver tackled well and made some good passes in to the midfield. Sam also defended fantastically and made several well timed tackles to prevent Aldershot attacks.

Cove had Callum, Liam, and Daniel in midfield. In difficult conditions the boys battled well and at times produced some good passing football. Callum played a deeper role to protect the defence but also got forward well and his crossing was very accurate. Liam made some good passes, including a great through ball in the first half to put Harrison away. Daniel showed real bravery and commitment to the team as he recovered from a hard knock in the first half to help out in midfield and defence.

In the second half Cove had the wind behind them and applied pressure resulting in Charlie scoring his 5th goal in 3 games with a well struck shot in to the bottom corner. However Aldershot fought back well and their striker scored with a powerful shot. Cove showed great character and responded well, Marc worked hard upfront and dropped back when needed to help out the midfield. Harrison kept finding good goalscoring positions and was rewarded when the ball dropped to him with 5 minutes left, he controlled the ball well and finished calmly.

Josh kept goal in the second half and had a great match producing a very good save late in the game when he came off his line and stood up well to the Warriors forward.

Man of the match went to Sam for his strong defensive performance.

19/11/11 Cove Cougars v Alton United Pumas

The Under 8s played Alton United Pumas for the second time in 5 weeks, the last game was a very close affair and this one proved to be the same. After last weeks fantastic match this one was rather scrappy as the boys struggled to get their passing game going and the Cougars needed their fantastic fighting spirit to get a result.

The team was Mackenzie in goal, Sam and Oliver at the back. Charlie, Liam, Callum, Marc and Daniel shared the midfield responsibilities while Joseph and Harrison lead the attack. The first half was very close with both teams defending well to limit goal scoring chances. The second half was continuing a similar pattern and Alton scored a fantastic solo goal after their forward finished well after a good run. This sparked the Cougars in to action and they improved greatly with Charlie blasting in an excellent goal and Joseph finishing clinically from just outside the area.

The standout player for the Cougars and man of the match was Oliver who produced an excellent defensive display and made several great tackles to prevent Alton attacks.

12/11/11 - Cove Cougars v Rushmoor Jets

Its a funny old game !!! A game of 2 halves !!!, and any other football cliche you can think of, Cove Cougars v Rushmoor Jets was brilliant.

The Cougars were looking forward to the visit of the Jets as Cove were keen to test themselves against one of the best teams in the league. In the first 5 minutes it looked like Cove would fail the test as they allowed Rushmoor space to play some fantastic one touch football which resulted in 3 well taken goals. However Darren made some tactical changes encouraging the team to close the Jets down and be first to every tackle. The Cougars responded in fantastic style showing exceptional desire as they started to win the 50/50 tackles and play some good football of their own.

Josh played in goal and he continued his good form from last week, standing up well to the Rushmoor forwards and his kicking was very good to relieve pressure.

Cove's commitment and desire was evident in their 3 first half goals as Liam won tackles on the edge of Rushmoor's area to create goals for Joseph, Charlie and himself. The first goal was a well taken, first time shot by Joseph in to the bottom corner. Charlie show great reactions to steer home the second and Liam forced in the 3rd from 8 yards out.

As the second half started the Cougars continued where they had left off in the first half. The defensive partnership of Daniel and Sam was once again excellent. Daniel made some awesome tackles which were timed to perfection to stop Rushmoor attacks. And Sam was committed as ever, at one stage he made a great tackle to win the ball deep in our half before dribbling the ball down the right wing and putting in a great cross, however he then turned and sprinted back the whole length of the pitch to get back in position. This desire to work for the team certainly impressed the Rushmoor coaches as one of them said to me it was the difference between the teams on the day.

Charlie added two further goals, one of which was the goal of the game as he turned and hit a half volley into the net from the edge of the box, Callum had another fine game winning lots of challenges and scored one of his trademark long range shots from out near the touch line. Upfront Marc worked tirelessly for the team harassing Rushmoor defenders and preventing them from building attacks.

Man of the match went to Charlie for his excellent hat-trick, while the effort award went to Liam who covered every blade of grass and tackled and tackled and tackled and tackled and then tackled some more.

Overall this was an excellent game against a very good team and the boys deserve great credit for their performance and it was great to see them work so hard as a team.

5/11/11 - Cove Cougars v Wey Valley Warriors

The under 8s went in to the match not knowing what to expect as they played Wey Valley Warriors for the first time ever. The Cougars started slowly and Wey Valley took advantage with some strong tackling and scored a fantastic goal from distance in to the top corner. However as the game progressed Cove started to match Wey in the tackle and took control with some good passing football.

In the first half Mackenzie kept goal and had a really steady game, his handling was good and his kicking fantastic. Sam, Oliver and Charlie formed the defence, Sam made some strong challenges and also made some good long passes to the midfield. Oliver produced another battling performance and is turning into a very reliable defender with several well timed tackles. Charlie continued his good form and picked up the man of the match trophy, he worked really hard for the team, and rarely lost the ball, making nice simple passes.

The midfield duo of Callum and Liam put in fantastic performances. Callum played in a slightly deeper role than normal which gave him more of the ball, he put in some great tackles and scored 2 super goals, the first from a corner and the second was struck from outside the box in to the roof of the net. Liam made countless tackles and at times went through 3 or 4 Wey Valley players at a time, his passing was also good setting up 2 goals and was really unlucky not to score with a fantastic header which hit the bar.

The striking trio of Harrison, Joseph and Marc were a constant threat to the Warriors defence. Harrison showed a great first touch to control the ball, he held the ball up well and made some good passes to bring others in to the game. Joseph battled really hard, showing good strength to hold off defenders and finished off a good Cove move with a first time finish. Marc also scored a good goal shooting low and hard in to the corner of the net, he also worked hard getting back to help out the midfield.

Josh took over in goal in the second half and earned himself the effort award with one of his best performances of the season so far. He showed confidence and his handling and kicking were very good. Josh also produced the save of the match when sliding out bravely at the feet of a Wey Valley striker.

29/10/11 - Cove Cougars v Crookham Rovers

The Cougars entertained Crookham Rovers Devils in what turned out to be a very close match. Unfortunately Cove had a bit of bug in the camp with half the team not feeling their best. Despite this the boys put in a good performance and battled all the way to the final whistle. Both teams played some great football and the match was end to end with several good scoring chances for both attacks. However both sides also defended well to keep the score close.

The Cove Team was McKenzie and Josh in goal, defence Sam and Daniel, midfield Liam, Callum, Joseph and Charlie with Harrison upfront.

Cove goalscorer was Liam.

Man of the match wen to Sam for a solid defensive performance and the effort award went to Callum for his bravery and non stop running.

22/10/11 Alton United Pumas v Cove Cougars

The under 8's were without Josh, Sam and Joseph as they travelled away to take on Alton United Pumas. The two teams were evenly matched and it was a very competitive game. The Cougars worked really hard battling all over the pitch and also managed some good football at times to create goal scoring chances. Up front Harrison made some good runs to trouble the Alton defence and Marc scored a fine goal with a well struck shot from the edge of the box.

In the midfield Callum had a very good game, he attacked with pace down the wing when Cove went forward but also got back well and put in some great tackles when Alton attacked. Charlie had his best game of the season so far for Cove, he made several good runs showing excellent dribbling skills before making some clever passes, one of these runs and passes created a great chance for Liam who slotted the ball home for his 10th goal in 7 games.

The defence continues to play well with Oliver making some well timed tackles and clearances while Daniel read the game well and stopped several Alton attacks with some brilliant defending.

Mackenzie kept goal bravely and is now coming off his line well to stop attacks.

Alton played some good passing football and scored two well deserved goals.

Man of the match went to Callum for an excellent all round display. The effort award went to Charlie for his hard work and good play.

15/10/11 - Cove Cougars v Headley Tigers

The Cougars had a full squad available for the visit of Headley Tigers. Cove started well and passed the ball round nicely creating several good goal scoring chances, unfortunately the boys didn't really have their shooting boots on and managed just one early goal. During the middle period of the game it become a bit scrappy and although Cove battled really well they struggled to find their passes as Headley closed them down well and put some good tackles in. During the closing period Headley tired and the Cougars started to create further chances finding the back of the net on 4 more occasions.

The Cougars team was:

MacKenzie and Josh in goal. Oliver, Sam and Daniel in defence. The keepers and defenders have now kept 5 clean sheets in 6 games.

Callum, Liam, Joseph and Charlie were in midfield with Harrison and Marc upfront.

The Goal scorers were Callum 2, Harrison, Liam and Sam who scored his first goal of the season with a well taken finish, meaning that every Cove outfield player has now scored this season.

Man of the match went to Liam for his hard work and battling display.

8/10/11 - Camberley Town Raiders v Cove Cougars

The Cougars played their 5th game of the season away to Camberley Town Raiders and produced one of their best ever displays with some fantastic passing and great attacking football.

MacKenzie started in goal and his handling was assured and he came off his line several times to prevent Camberley strikers from shooting. Josh took the gloves in the second half and had another fine game his kicking was very good and started several Cove attacks.

In defence Sam made some fantastic clearances and strong tackles, Daniel defended calmly with well timed tackling and running the ball out from the back, Oliver also played in defence and he had his best game so far for Cove, as usual he battled well but once he had won the ball made some nice passes forward to the midfield.

On the left Joseph used his strength and pace to cause trouble for Camberley and scored a good goal taking his tally to 5 for the season. On the right Callum showed great skill and control to beat his man and put in some excellent crosses, he also scored a fantastic goal cutting in and hitting a fierce shot in to the corner of the goal. In the middle Liam linked the play well, his passing was accurate and created 2 goals for Cove, he also found the back of the net himself for his 8th goal in 5 games.

Upfront Marc linked well with the midfield and scored a brilliant goal when hitting a shot first time hard and low into the bottom corner. But man of the match went to Harrison who created 2 goals and scored one, his work rate was exceptional, his control was good and he made some unstoppable runs and delivered some fantastic crosses.

Overall this was an great team performance and the boys are really starting to playing some great passing football.

1/10/11 - Milford v Cove Cougars

The Cougars travelled to Milford to take on the Pumas missing 3 players, which meant they had no outfield subs on an extremely hot day. However the boys produced a fantastic battling display with every single player put in100% effort. In defence Sam stopped several Milford attacks with well timed tackles despite having a bad leg. Oliver held his position well and battled really hard and at one time went through 3 or 4 Milford players.

On the left Charlie had a good game and ran and ran to support the attacks and get back to help out the defence. In the middle Liam had a very good game, he passed well, tackled hard and scored a header from a corner by Marc. On the right Joseph was a threat all game, making good runs, putting in some good crosses and was unlucky not to score. Up front Marc had a fine game and kept the Milford defenders busy, he also put in some great corners leading to several goal scoring chances.

The goal keeping was shared by MacKenzie and Josh and both had great games. Both keepers are playing really well, showing bravery, good shot stopping and kicking well. In four games this season they have only conceded one goal between them.

24/9/11 - Cove Cougars v Mytchett Eagles

Cove faced Mytchett Eagles with a good attacking line up. Josh played the whole game in goal and was called upon at least half a dozen times getting his body behind the ball with safe handling.

Daniel played with real vision as the last defender stopping the 2 Mytchett attackers on many occasions. Sam played well as the 2nd defender before moving forward in the 2nd half and came close to scoring with some long range efforts.

Liam, Marc and Joseph produced good support to Harrison up front, with Joseph showing great pace and skill to score 2 goals. Liam also battled well and got a great goal for his efforts. Oliver and Charlie came on and played their positions well getting involved and both had chances to score.

17 Sep 11 - Cove Cougars v Petersfield Pythons

The Cougars played their 2nd game of the season against Petersfield Pythons. Petersfield are a strong team but fortunately Cove where on form and started really well. Sam and Dan where strong at the back and made several good challenges and forward passes to start Cove attacks. The front 4 of Joseph, Liam, Harrison and Callum played some fantastic football. On several occasions they produced free flowing football with fast accurate passing which was great to watch. This movement created several good goalscoring chances with Liam and Callum scoring 2 fantastic goals. Mackenzie kept goal confidently and came off his line bravely to prevent Petersfield getting shots away. As the game went on Petersfield started to come back into the game and Oliver and Charlie were brought on and provided some excellent tackling and battled really well with Oliver clearing a shot off the line to stop a certain Petersfield goal.

10 Sep 11 - Cove Cougars v Hart Scorpions

Cove under 8s had their 2 new summer signings Oliver and Charlie in the team for their first match of the season against Hart Scorpions. The Cougars have been training well during the summer and their hard work paid off with an excellent team performance. All the players battled for the ball, their movement was good and their passing precise enabling Cove to create numerous goal scoring chances. In goal Josh and Mackenzie did everything that was asked of them and both of them kicked really well. Cove's goal scorers were Liam 4, Harrison 2, Callum 2, Joseph 2, Daniel 2, Marc, Oliver and Charlie.

The great all round team performance made it impossible for Darren to give the man of the match trophy to an individual so it was awarded to the whole team.